WAUSAU – Shellby Walters has been primping and preening for months, preparing for one thing.

Shellby, a 9-year-old from Easton, hasn't been focused on her own beauty. Her attention has been focused on Chewy, a calf that has been her constant companion as she and scores of other 4-Hers prepare for judgment day at the Wisconsin Valley Fair.

Shellby was lying with Chewy in a bed of straw Wednesday in the cattle barn at Marathon Park, doing some last-minute primping before going before judges Thursday.

"This is my first year showing a calf at the fair," Walters said. "My dad kind of convinced me to take a calf this year, and I decided I wanted to give it a try."

Shellby was joined in the cattle barn by her fellow Badger 4-Hers from Easton, Nevaeh Merriam, 9, and Tynashia Williams, 10, who have their calves, Buttercup and Eastwood, entered in the fair as well. All three girls have spent months caring for their animals, feeding and bathing them and otherwise getting ready for the fair.

"I walk (Chewy) and wash her and spend time with her every day," Shellby said. "I talk to her, too, and make sure she's healthy."

The animal judging harkens back to the foundation of the fair in central Wisconsin's agricultural history, when many kids knew not only how to handle animals but how to ensure that they grew up to bring the best prices at market or produce the most milk for the family dairy.

Shelby said Chewy can be a hassle sometimes, because she can be stubborn and, being mostly white, she gets dirty easily.

These girls will be up as early as 3 a.m. Thursday to get their animals washed, groomed and ready to show, said Laura Merriam, Nevaeh's mother and leader of Cloverbud and Exploring for Badger 4-H.

"There's only one washing area in this barn, and to make sure we can get the girls' animals cleaned up, we start early," Laura Merriam said.

In addition to her calf, Walters also will show her rabbit, Skittles, during the fair. Kelsey Koprowski, 19, also has rabbits named Captain and Diesel entered. Koprowski is a former member of a Mosinee 4-H club, but since she graduated high school, she has entered independently.

Koprowski said she taught herself to breed rabbits and has 14 of them at her home in Mosinee.

"I try to breed them to their full potential," Koprowski said.

Rabbits are judged based on how well they conform to perfect breed characteristics including weight, color and markings, Koprowski said. She pulled Diesel, an English-Holland mix, out of his cage and explained that, for example, a "butterfly" design must be present on his nose in order to enter him for judging. Koprowski said she breeds predominantly Dutch rabbits, but hopes to start breeding English rabbits, as well.

Just down from the rabbit cages are the goat pens where Ashley Erickson, 9, and her 6-year-old brother, Preston, a couple of Wien Wildcats from Edgar, were tending Wednesday to their three goats, Sparkle, Lady and Energy. Ashley said they got the goats in March when the kids were just 8 weeks old.